Blackford: Dragon Songs, 5 Naidu Songs & 7 Hokusai Miniatures

Richard Blackford writes: “The seven prints I chose from Hokusai’s immense output of Ukiyo-e, or “pictures from the floating world”, represent landscapes, seascapes and scenes from Japanese town and country life around the iconic Mount Fuji. Whereas some movements are inspired by a single picture, others are composites of many scenes or visual variations on a theme. The poems of Sarojini Naidu (1879-1949) cover a wide range of human experience, from love, ecstasy, delight in the natural world, loneliness, acceptance and praise. These five poems form a cycle of one Indian woman’s experience. Her poetry pulsates with her love of Indian landscapes, seasons and flowers, simple joys, devotion and the splendour of Indian festivals. I chose an accompaniment of string quartet and clarinet to extend and enhance the richness of Naidu’s imagery and the passion she evokes. In 1980 I discovered in an old bookshop a book of Chinese children’s’ songs in English translation called Chinese Mother Goose Rhymes. Published in 1900 it includes, as well as the texts in Mandarin and English, I chose fourteen poems to make a cantata for children, accompanied by two pianos with optional percussion, recorder and harp. The cantata is framed by two marches as the children gather for a wedding. Recorded in 1981, the original tape sat on my shelf for years. Now digitally transfers by Nimbus and we were surprised and delighted at how fresh and dynamic the recording still sounds today.”